Voice of the People, Mar. 21

March 21, 2014

Frightening signs (Jennifer M. Kohnke)

Frightening signs

The new concealed-carry law in Illinois requires businesses to post a standardized 4-by-6-inch picture of a semiautomatic handgun with a red line through it at their entrances if they wish to prohibit guns in their establishments.

The Chicago Tribune has published stories about concealed carry and the related signage.

Members of the business community need to know about Illinois Senate Bill 2669, which would change the signage requirement.

Instead of business establishments posting signs if they prohibit guns, the bill says businesses are free to post a "Concealed Carry Allowed" sign if they choose.

Despite what we are told by the gun lobby, the consensus among public health experts is that concealed carry does not decrease violent crime.

Beyond that, there are plenty of reasons why business owners might not want loaded guns in their law offices, shoe stores, fitness clubs, bakeries or nail salons.

This bill would make it easy for permit-holders to know where they can carry in the stores and restaurants in our neighborhoods.

Another important point about signage is that currently, our state's new concealed-carry law specifies places where guns are always prohibited (including schools, day-care centers, libraries and museums) — and requires those locations to post the same sign, featuring an image of a semiautomatic gun with a red line through it.

As we enter my 4-year-old's preschool, this is the only sign on the door.

Parents and teachers are vocalizing concerns about the effect these signs have on our children, and how to address the fears and questions of little ones who face this image every day as they enter their schools.

These signs on our schools and libraries are 100 percent redundant, and Senate Bill 2669 would eliminate them.

I am a retired law-enforcement officer, National Rifle Association-certified pistol instructor and a certified Illinois State Police concealed-carry instructor.

Some individuals have stated their concerns that Illinois might become like the Wild West, with people calling out others for a shoot-out.

Some even have stated that there could be fights and shootings in bars.

These are the most ridiculous, uninformed statements that could be made.

Before Illinois passed the concealed-carry law, 49 other states had concealed carry for many years; there have been no free-for-all, Wild West shootings in those states. So what makes these people think it will happen in Illinois? Many states with concealed carry have had reductions in crime.

For the statements that there could be shootings in bars, all certified concealed-carry instructors go over thoroughly where people can carry and where they cannot carry. They highly emphasize that if people are going out to drink, they must leave their firearms at home. If stopped by police and found to have been drinking and armed, they will lose their firearms and have their licenses suspended for 60 days with a fine and a court appearance. The same holds true if they smoke pot; if stopped and smelling of cannabis, they will lose their firearms for 60 days and have their licenses suspended and incur a fine and a court appearance.

— Lance Jacobsen, Cherry Valley, Ill.

Tollway waste

While some may see nostalgia in the closing of the Des Plaines Oasis, I see more tollway money lost. Not too many years ago, when the oasis was remodeled, the tollway had to have a future plan in expanding the width of the roadway. Why did it not plan then, in rebuilding the oasis, to include room for the additional lanes? Instead the tollway went ahead and spent millions of dollars rebuilding the oasis and now millions of dollars taking it down and paying out the contracts of those who were running concessions at the oasis.

One can only wonder how many millions of dollars are being wasted in the multi-billion-dollar rebuilding program!

— Jerome C. Malon, Chicago

Columnist fan

Tribune reporter Rex Huppke is an outstanding member of the Tribune's journalism staff! With so much of the news devoted to mayhem, malice, mischief, machinations and more, his columns are indeed refreshing. I really admire his imagination, his finely attuned sense of the ridiculous and his ability to see a bit of humor in certain current events. And I find that his remarkable talent for generally gentle but sometimes not so subtle ridicule is sometimes a veneer above some rather cogent insights. I look forward to Huppke's columns and the chuckles they offer, which are such a pleasant break from all the discouraging news.